Collapsible garment hanger

ABSTRACT

A collapsible garment hanger which opens to a triangular shape and collapses to a shortened and elongated shape. A telescopic lower member which locks in an extended position is joined through pivotal links to the opposite ends of an extendable top member which defines the two upper inclined shoulder sections of the hanger. These upper sections are pivotally attaches the hanger hook to the center of the top member.

limited motes merit lllllriscoellr ell oil.

154] CULLAIPSIIBLE GARMENT HANGER [72] Inventors: James T. Glascock, Rt.#1, Cedar Grove,

Ind. 47016; Glen IR. SchIemmer II 10 Elbern Ave, Harrison, Ohio 45030 22Filed: May is, 19m

[211 AppLNo; some [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,415,7475/1922 Weeks 2223/39 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 287,824 7 4/1953Switzerland ..223/89 121,636 5/1948 Sweden ..223/89 PrimaryExaminer-Jordan Franklin Assistant Examiner--George I-I. KrizmanichAttorney-Wood, I-Ierron @L Evans [5 7] ABSTRACT A collapsible garmenthanger which opens to a triangular shape and collapses to a shortenedand elongated shape. A telescopic lower member which locks in anextended position is joined through pivotal links to the opposite endsof an extendable top member which defines the two upper inclinedshoulder sections of the hanger. These upper sections are pivotallyattaches the hanger hook to the center of the top member.

9 Drawing Figures PAIEMTEUFEB 2 m2 3,, M6 d2 6 "VENTOR5 rro/en/ExsCGILLAIPSKBLE GARMENT HANGER This invention relates to garment hangers,and more particularly, to a novel and improved collapsible garmenthanger of simple and economical construction which opens to a sturdy,full-size garment hanger and which collapses to a compact and convenientsize.

The standard rigid noncollapsible garment hanger, which is in widespreaduse, remains, more or less permanently in a closet, or on a coatrack.Normally, travelers rely on hangers of this type being present at theirdestination so that they can hang their garments. These hangers,however, are frequently not everywhere available. In many cases, it isdesirable to have collapsible portable hangers in the form of a luggageaccessory which can store compactly in a suitcase, or attache case, orin a form which can be kept in a small case and carried in a coat pocketor purse. Collapsible hangers per se are known in the prior art, butmany of the collapsible hangers of the prior art have been too bulky forcarrying in a coat pocket or purse, or tucking into a corner of anattache case, suitcase, or carrying with camping equipment. The mostimportant drawback of these designs has been that they are toocomplicated and expensive to justify their manufacture. Collapsibilityin the prior art hangers has been achieved in most cases by providinghinges and joints at points in the structure of the hanger wherestrength is most needed to support a garment. A common example is theuse of a pivoting joint in the center of the bottom member. Featuressuch as this have required the use of locks for holding the hanger inopened condition. These locks have been bulky, expensive to manufactureor inconvenient to use.

A principal objective of the present invention is to provide acollapsible hanger of simple and economical design which can beconveniently carried in a pocket or purse, and which can be carried inan attache case or suitcase without occupying any appreciable space.

The present invention is directed primarily toward providing acollapsible garment hanger which is exceedingly simple and economical toproduce, and, accordingly, alternative embodiments of this invention canbe made inexpensively by small-scale shop techniques and by massproduction procedures. The hanger of the present invention collapses toa very flat, compact, elongated package, and opens quickly and easily bymerely extending it longitudinally by moving the opposite ends of themembers apart. The joints which provide the collapsibility do notappreciably contribute to the size of members which carry them, nor dothey weaken the structure.

What is therefore provided by the present invention is a fullsize hangerof the standard triangular shape having extendable for hanging coats,dresses, and the like. The top and bottom members collapse to agenerally parallel relationship and to approximately equal lengths toform a flat, easy-to-carry package about the size of a pocket sliderule. The top member is extendable to a greater total length than is thebottom member, and has a central pivot so that the top portion can swingupwardly to form the apex portion of the hanger. The hangers locks in anextended position, and the locking means is preferably carried by thebottom member to prevent it from contracting under compressive forcescaused by the weight of a garment. The members are preferably madeextendable through slot and key type fastening means where small-scalereproduction is anticipated, while other means, such as forming thebottom member of tubular or U-shaped sections slidable within oneanother are believed to be more practical and economical for large-scaleproduction.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will be morereadily apparent from the following detailed description of thedrawings, illustrating one preferred form of a collapsible hangerembodying principles of the present invention, in which:

FIG. 1 is an elevational view of the hanger, according to the presentinvention, in its fully opened condition;

FIG. 2 is an elevational view of the hanger of HG. l in a partiallycollapsed condition;

FIG. 3 is an elevational view of the hanger of HG. l in a completelycollapsed condition;

FIG. 4 is an elevational view of alternative form of hanger according tothe present invention in a collapsed condition;

FIG. 5 is an elevational view of the hanger FlG. l in a partiallycollapsed condition illustrating the relative extendability of the topand bottom members;

FIG. 6 is an exploded fragmentary prospective view of the locking meansof the hanger FIG. 11;

FIG. 7 is a sectional view along line "l'-'7 of FIG. ll illustrating thelocking means in a locked condition;

FIG. 8 is a sectional view along line ;h-8 of FIG. 2 illustrating alocking means in an unlocked condition; and

FIG. 9 is an elevational view of an alternative embodiment of the hangerof FIG. 3 in collapsed condition.

Referring first to FIG. l, the hanger ltl, shown in its fully openedcondition, includes a bottom member ill and a top member 12. The topmember 12 is pivotally attached at its opposite ends to the oppositeends of the bottom member ill, by pins 13 and 1d. The bottom member 111includes a pair of straight sections 17 and lb. The sections 17 and 118are telescopically connected at the joint 19 so as to be linearlyextendable and retractable relative to each other. The telescopic joint19, which can be made in many acceptable forms, is illustrated in theform preferred for manufacture in small or moderate quantities. Thisjoint l9 includes a pair of longitudinally spaced keys 2?. and 22,attached to the section l7, and which project through a longitudinalslot 23 of the member 118. The keys Eli and 22 have enlarged ends on theopposite side of the slot 23 from the section T7 to hold the sectionsit? and lb together. The keys Zil and 22 slide in the slot 23 to form aslidable connection between the members l7 and iii and thereby totelescopically join the members. The use of the two keys 2]. and 22makes the joint 19 a non-pivoting joint.

The top member 12 is also comprised of two sections fill and 32 whichare joined in a pivotal and relatively longitudinally extendable fashionby a key or pin 33 projecting through a pair of slots 35 and 36respectively in the sections 311 and 32 to form a joint 34. The use ofonly one key 33 makes the joint 3d both pivoting and longitudinallyextendable, instead of strictly telescoping as is joint 19 which isjoined by two keys 2ll and 22. A hook 36 is also pivotally mounted tothe top member 12 by the pin 33. Where two slots 35 and 36 are shown inthe top member 12, these slots being of equal length, a single slot oftwice the length in only one of the sections Ell or 32 could beprovided, however, greater strength can be achieved with less materialwhen two slots of equal length are employed.

The sections 311 and 32 are provided with links M and 42 respectively inthe ends thereof, these links are pivotally joined to the sections 31and 32 by pins d3 and dd respectively. The links 411 and d2 aid in thecompact folding of the hanger 10 as is explained in more detail inconnection with FIGS. 3 and t below. An economical alternative to theselegs, and one almost as effective, is to provide fixed bends in place oflinks ll and 32, as illustrated in F IG. 9, but these and otheralternatives are also discussed in more detail below.

The bottom member illl can also be formed of concentric tubes or ofmembers of some other shape, and both the members ill and 12 can beprovided with additional telescoping joints to allow the hanger tocollapse even more compactly.

Referring to FIG. 2, the collapsing oli the hanger ll) is more clearlyillustrated. As the bottom member ill contracts, the sections 17 and lbtelescope relative to each other at the joint 19 and, the top member l2contracts with the sections El and 32 linearly contracting at the jointE l as the pin 33 moves in the slots 35 and 3b.

The completely collapsed hanger lb is shown in FIG. 3. The contractedtop and bottom members Ill and T2 are parallel and the links 411 and i2form angulated ends of the top member 12. The collapsed hanger forms avery compact, flat elongated package.

The angles formed between the section 31 and the link 41, and betweenthe section 32 and the link 42, define the angles of which permanentbends 41A and 32A would be formed in the sections 31 and 32 if the links41 and 42 were not used (FIG. 9). Whereas, the best exact angle for thispurpose is generally determined by the thickness or width of the upperand lower members, by the relative position of the pins 13 and M, and bythe dimensions of the slots 23, 35 and 36, this angle will generally bean obtuse angle, that is, somewhat greater than 90". Furthermore, thisangle is generally required only when the top member falls against theupper surface of the bottom member 11 when the hanger is collapsed asillustrated in the embodiments shown in drawings. Alternatively, the topmember can be so designed to fall behind the bottom member lll when thehanger is collapsed and, when so designed, no angle portion would berequired at all. However, because of the dimensions of the hook, noadvantage is gained by this more compact folding of the top and bottommembers 11 and 12. Another alternative, such as providing the bends inthe bottom member 11 instead of the top member 12 is also possible.Where the links 41 and 42 are employed, a more compact collapsed shapeis possible. The hanger may be designed to collapse to the shapeillustrated in FIG. 4. Here the bottom member contracts an even greateramount to bring links 41 and 42 into a parallel relationship forming anelongated parallel'ogram.

The relative extendability of the bottom and top members 11 and 12 arebest illustrated in FIG. 5. Here, the bottom member 11 is in its fullyextended position, while the top member 12 is in a semicollapsedcondition parallel to the bottom member 11 and not yet fully extended.The further extendability of the top member 12 allows the upper sections31 and 32 to pivot relative to each other away from the bottom member Itto form the apex of the triangle of the opened hanger, as illustrated bythe arrows in FIG. 5.

FIGS. 6 through 8 show locking means which are provided to hold thehanger in its extended position. The locking means are locatedpreferably at the telescopic joint 19 of the bottom member 111. Lockingis achieved by rotating the key 21 through 90 in a circular hole 47 atthe end of the slot 23. The hole 47 is of a diameter greater than thewidth of the slot 23. The key 21 is provided with an elongated neck 48which has a length approximately equal to the diameter of the hole 47,and the width approximately equal to the width of the slot 23.

This is only one of many possible locking techniques which can beemployed. Another simple alternative would be to provide a spring-biaseddetent mechanism which merely snaps into locking engagement when thebottom member 12 is brought to its extended position. This locking isgenerally necessary to prevent a bottom member from contracting undercompressional forces caused by downward loading on the upper members 31and 32 of the hanger l0. Alternatively, a lock could be located at thejoint 34 to constrain the joint 34 to some minimum angle between thesections 31 and 32 of the top member 12.

What is described above is a full-size garment hanger which can becheaply constructed and which folds into a useful and extremely compactform for carrying it in a suitcase, a coat pocket or a purse.

What is claimed is:

l. A collapsible garment hanger comprising:

a linearly extendable bottom member having at least two telescopicallyjoined lower sections;

a linearly extendable top member having at least two pivotally joinedupper sections, said top member having its opposite ends pivotallyconnected to the opposite ends of said bottom member;

a hook pivotally attached to said top member near the center of said topmember;

each of said members having an extended condition and a contractedcondition, and each of said members being in said extended conditionwhen said hanger is opened and in contracted condition when said hangeris colla ed' when said hanger IS opened, the total extended ength ofsaid top member being greater than the extended length of said bottommember with said upper sections being angulated to form a triangle withsaid bottom member; when said hanger is collapsed, the contracted lengthof said top member being substantially equal to contracted length ofsaid bottom member, with said upper sections being substantially alignedand parallel to said bottom member to form a shortened elongated shape;and

said hanger, when opened, having a width corresponding to the extendedlength of said lower member and, when collapsed, having a width lessthan its width when opened and corresponding to the contracted length ofsaid lower member.

2. A collapsible hanger according to claim I wherein:

each of said upper sections has an angular bend formed therein near theend of said top member, whereby said hanger is substantially trapezoidalin shape when said hanger is collapsed.

3. A collapsible hanger according to claim 1 wherein:

said telescopic joining of said lower section comprises:

at least one of said joined sections having a longitudinal slot therein;and

a key extending through each of said lower sections and said slot forjoining said sections together.

4. A collapsible hanger according to claim 3 wherein said pivotal jointof said upper sections comprises:

at least one of said upper sections having a longitudinal slot therein;and

a key extending through both of said upper sections and said slot forpivotally joining said upper sections together.

5. A collapsible hanger according to claim 4 wherein:

said key forms said pivotal attachment of said hook to said top member.

6. A collapsible hanger according to claim 1 further comprising:

a pair of links, each pivotally connected at one end thereof todifferent ends of said top member, and each pivotally connected at theother end thereof to different ends of said bottom member, said uppermember, when contracted, being slightly shorter than said contractedlower member whereby said hanger is substantially trapezoidal in shapewhen collapsed.

7. A collapsible hanger according to claim 1 further comprising:

means for locking said lower member in an extended condition.

8. A collapsible hanger according to claim 7 wherein:

said locking means are located at said telescopic joint of said lowersections.

9. A collapsible hanger according to claim 1 further comprising:

a pair of links, each pivotally connected at one end thereof todifferent ends of said top member, and each pivotally connected at theother end thereof to different ends of said bottom member, and eachforming mutually supplimentary angles with said members when said hangeris collapsed, whereby said hanger is substantially a parallelogram inshape when collapsed.

1. A collapsible garment hanger comprising: a linearly extendable bottommember having at least two telescopically joined lower sections; alinearly extendable top member having at least two pivotally joinedupper sections, said top member having its opposite ends pivotallyconnected to the opposite ends of said bottom member; a hook pivotallyattached to said top member near the center of said top member; each ofsaid members having an extended condition and a contracted condition,and each of said members being in said extended condition when saidhanger is opened and in contracted condition when said hanger iscollapsed; when said hanger is opened, the total extended length of saidtop member being greater than the extended length of said bottom memberwith said upper sections being angulated to form a triangle with saidbottom member; when said hanger is collapsed, the contracted length ofsaid top member being substantially equal to contracted length of saidbottom member, with said upper sections being substantially aligned andparallel to said bottom member to form a shortened elongated shape; andsaid hanger, when opened, having a width corresponding to the extendedlength of said lower member and, when collapsed, having a width lessthan its width when opened and corresponding to the contracted length ofsaid lower member.
 2. A collapsible hanger according to claim 1 wherein:each of said upper sections has an angular bend formed therein near theend of said top member, whereby said hanger is substantially trapezoidalin shape when said hanger is collapsed.
 3. A collapsible hangeraccording to claim 1 wherein: said telescopic joining of said lowersection comprises: at least one of said joined sections having alongitudinal slot therein; and a key extending through each of saidlower sections and said slot for joining said sections together.
 4. Acollapsible hanger according to claim 1 wherein said pivotal joint ofsaid upper sections comprises: at least one of said upper sectionshaving a longitudinal slot therein; and a key extending through both ofsaid upper sections and said slot for pivotally joining said uppersections together.
 5. A collapsible hanger according to claim 4 wherein:said key forms said pivotal attachment of said hook to said top member.6. A collapsible hanger according to claim 1 further comprising: a pairof links, each pivotally connected at one end thereof to different endsof said top member, and each pivotally connected at the other endthereof to different ends of said bottom member, said upper member, whencontracted, being slightly shorter than said contracted lower memberwhereby said hanger is substantially trapezoidal in shape whencollapsed.
 7. A collapsible hanger according to claim 1 furthercomprising: means for locking said lower membeR in an extendedcondition.
 8. A collapsible hanger according to claim 7 wherein: saidlocking means are located at said telescopic joint of said lowersections.
 9. A collapsible hanger according to claim 1 furthercomprising: a pair of links, each pivotally connected at one end thereofto different ends of said top member, and each pivotally connected atthe other end thereof to different ends of said bottom member, and eachforming mutually supplimentary angles with said members when said hangeris collapsed, whereby said hanger is substantially a parallelogram inshape when collapsed.